GRANT THORNTON has appointed Ali Sharifi national head of its corporate finance practice. Sharifi has been with the firm since 1999 and became a partner in 2005. He will retain a day-to-day involvement in deals around the UK, and the north of England in particular. From a base in Manchester, he will lead a team of 95 people across seven dedicated corporate finance centres in England – London, Reading, Birmingham, Manchester,…